Converting The Complexity Of Real World Sales Into Engaging Serious Games

Mercer City, a single
player, custom based Serious Game is to be used for sales consultative training
within a Learning Management System.Its
goalis to convert the complexity of
real world sales into an engaging Serious Game, addressing the intricacies of
interacting with other people in a business environment.

While training used by Mercer covers a wide
range of methods and technologies, they were seeking a more creative and
engaging solution that would help enhance their current sales training and could
be used alongside Mercer’s in-classroom training.

Game Context

In order to develop interactions that simulated
the involved relationships between sales employees and clients, Designing
Digitally, Inc. dissected the basic learning objects from the classroom
training and then crafted realistic sales situations with fictional companies
to challenge learners as they worked towards making a sale.

As learners complete more meetings, more
companies are unlocked, giving them access to even more situations to
experience. Learners are able to see how successful they were in recognizing a
client’s needs by seeing a score at the end of each interaction. Through their
client book, learners are able to see their average and overall score for the
whole game. This score can be used to help motivate the learner to their best
and strive for 100% mastery.

In a prototype Designing Digitally, Inc. originally developed, the
game environment was 3D and more of a bird’s eye view of a city. However,
concerns for user experience when it came to moving about the city, and
limitations of the LMS and platform, resulted in a more flat, 2D design that
matches Mercer’s updating branding style.

Game Roll-Out

Mercer has plans to steadily roll out the
training in phases. Key Stakeholders and training personnel were part of Phase
1, which gave them an opportunity to provide higher level insight and revisions
to help improve the game and implement new features. Now in Phase 2, the
training is being evaluated by a larger group, including members of the target
audience. For Phase 3, the Mercer team will decide if more modifications are
needed or if it’s time to move onto the next phase. Eventually the game will be
available to more than 10,000 Mercer employees, and made a focal point of new
hire training.

About Mercer

Mercer is a global consulting company that
works with their clients to create secure and rewarding human resource
solutions. Mercer employees learn to anticipate the needs of their clients and
overcome obstacles. Sales employees use Mercer Principles to delve deep with their
clients, and that kind of training takes time and money.